Tag Archive Prayer

WARNING: This post is gonna make you itch!

Ahhhh….patience. Sometimes just the word itself can give me the heebie jeebies, not to mention the action it requires. Surely I am not alone in this!

I grew up in the church hearing saints say things such as, “I refuse to pray for patience,” or “I will never pray for patience again!” Then there were the holier saints who would say, “Now, Sister, patience is a virtue,” or “God is wanting to teach me to wait on Him so I’m praying for patience.”

I remember witnessing some of those saints that prayed for patience go through trials and tribulations almost immediately. If that’s what praying for patience got you then I wanted no part of it! So I decided to join the first group of saints.

Of course I was a teenager when I made that decision. I have since matured, not only physically, but spiritually. I began to read the Bible to get to know the author and not just to check it off my To Do List. I began to form a relationship with God that became more than just 3 church services a week. I fell in love with Jesus, the Savior of my soul.

In that process of spiritual growth (that thankfully continues daily) I started to look back over my teenage years and see things from a different perspective. I began to study those same saints with a new appreciation. They didn’t just go through trials and tribulations. They survived them! I realized patience and waiting on God made sense and helped them see the light at the end of the tunnel. I felt a twinge of guilt for the stance I had taken.

So I did it. I worked up the courage and bravely prayed for patience.

And that’s when my youngest daughter, Adah, came home from school with head lice.

If you’ve never dealt with head lice, bless your soul. If you have, then you completely understand where I’m coming from.

This Mama went through the stages of grief faster than a getaway car at a bank robbery! There were tons of tears while cutting off several inches of thick, tangled hair to ease the process of cleaning it, yet we still weren’t done until midnight. And we can’t forget all the store bought and natural remedies (the smell of mayonnaise in your hair takes forever to go away!), along with endless laundry.

Now don’t get me wrong, I know we aren’t above head lice. That’s not the issue. The issue is the effort you have to put in to getting rid of it! Especially when it does not want to go away. It’s quite costly and extremely time consuming. One might even say it demands…*ahem*…patience.

It was on a Tuesday and she had to miss school the rest of the week. And although I had taken precautions by treating my own hair, my husband still ended up having to clean and scrub my scalp because they had somehow survived enough to show up in my hair anyway. It was a nightmare.

My Light at the End of the Tunnel

That following weekend, I had more tears of frustration streaming down my cheeks as my husband took the time to comb the nits out of my hair. I looked up into his eyes and said, “This is all my fault. I decided to pray for patience last week.” Then surprisingly, we both began to laugh.

We love the Happy Goodmans and had been listening to Vestal sing “Won’t it be Wonderful There” earlier in the week. At that point I started to sing it, however, I changed the lyrics from “Won’t it be wonderful there, having no burdens to bear” to “Won’t it be wonderful there, having no lice in your hair!” The girls joined in the singing and giggling with us. It felt amazing to have laughter through the tears.

I began to appreciate my spiritual maturing all the more because I was able to see God’s hand, even in the trial. Praying for patience may have opened the door for extra testing, but I believe being brave enough to pray for it allowed us to find joy in the midst of a stressful situation.

That being said, once it was all over and done with and nary a nit was to be seen, I decided to rejoin the first group of saints and no longer felt guilty about it.
I truly believe it was a lesson in which God revealed to me why it isn’t necessary to pray for patience. He showed me two reasons straight from the Bible that are so simple, I should have already known. And I am going to share these Biblical truths with you right now!

Are you ready?

Galatians 5: 22-23 says, “ 22 But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,23 gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!” (NLT)

The Bible tells us that we are to be walking in the Spirit, not the flesh. If we are walking according to the Spirit, then we should be producing the fruit of the Spirit, patience included! Therefore, we should already be walking in patience because we are followers of Christ, not having to pray for it to show up.

James 1:3 says, “Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.“

I don’t know about you all, but my faith isn’t perfect. It is tried quite often, and according to James, that means patience is being produced.

Remember when I said I formed a relationship with God? Remember when I mentioned falling in love with Jesus, His son? Because of that, His Holy Spirit is my teacher and takes me to scriptures in the Bible, giving me understanding. For that I am beyond grateful. It’s freeing to know that I don’t have to pray for patience…instead I am expected to apply the Word and practice it.

Instead of praying for patience, we should be practicing it.

I’m not saying that you should never pray for patience, but to this day when someone mentions patience, Adah is quick to tell them, “If you pray for patience you’re gonna get head lice!” 😉

*Disclaimer– This article is in no way meant to lessen the true hardships people go through. I could never compare the frustrations of head lice to the death of a loved one, divorce, etc. In the grand scheme of life, a week of dealing with head lice was no big deal. However, I do believe that God will see you through even those true hardships and give you joy and peace in the midst of hurt and chaos.

**Author’s note:I was very blessed to have my mom, Ann, and friend, Lynn, help with the process of treating our heads and home during that dreadful week. I would have been insane without them! Also, it was the ONE time in my life I remember being caught up on laundry. I believe God knew I needed to be caught up so I wouldn’t be that much more behind when it came time to wash all the bed clothes, etc. He takes care of even the smallest details.

Some of us at Raising Sticky Hands To Heaven will be participating in Cry Out 16 simulcast events at our own churches. We’d love for you to join us!

If you are near Water Valley, KY, you can join Emily, Karen, Judye, and other ladies at Pentecostal Tabernacle. You can find more information on their website by clicking here.

If you are near San Bernardino, CA, you are invited to join Diania (I’m trying to convince her to join us back on RSHTH 😉 ), Shani, and myself (Angie) at Trinity Full Gospel Church. We have a Facebook event set up for this location and you can find more information by going to that page by clicking here.

It is time for us to CRY OUT! Join us in prayer for our nation, our families, and for REVIVAL!

Share this:

As I mentioned on here not long ago, we have begun having monthly prayer days that have been turning out results that only God can bring. Our Father has amazed us with His love and answers to prayer!

For the month of August, I felt as though we needed more than just one day. Some of those in our Women On The Warpath group need some major breakthroughs. It also feels as though we are on the verge of something. In my spirit it feels as though if we just push a little further, something is going to break forth and flood out.

I want to see that wall break and feel that flood! We need these breakthroughs!

So this month, some of us are participating in a week instead of just the day. The prayer day will still fall during the prayer week, so we will all be united.

Also, no one will think any less of those that participate in the one day event but not the full week. However, we do appreciate any bit that you feel lead to do!

Share this:

Disclaimer: This will more than likely be my only personal thoughts shared on this matter because I typically like to keep it between me and God. I despise the constant bickering that has become social media and with that being said, I will not be engaging in debates or arguments. I just felt compelled to share my feelings so here I am. I also want to go ahead and inform you that you will not find arguments in support/opposition towards Law Enforcement, Black is Good/White is Bad, White is Good/Black is Bad, or my political viewpoints in this post. If you are trolling, this post is not for you.

For starters, I ask that you don’t jump to conclusions as to what my thoughts are before reading this post, seeing as I am a conservative white woman. This isn’t about I’m right, you’re wrong, vice versa. I do not exclude myself from being a receiver of this post just because I am the one writing it. As the old saying goes, I had to eat it first.

I am not a racist. I believe God looks at the heart, soul, and spirit of a human being, not the outward appearance or skin color. I have met many beautiful people with ugly souls, and I am a firm believer that what’s on the inside is what counts. I have family of all race and nationalities. They aren’t my family by blood or marriage, but by choice. Not only am I speaking about my brothers and sisters in Christ, but also about those I truly count as family, as though they honestly were blood.

In fact, one of the sweetest women in my family is a black woman who was my worship leader until marriage led her to a different area of the state. (GASP!! I belong to a multiracial church!) She has been my friend for many years and we refer to each other as Twin. Believe it or not, people actually get us confused. I refer to another black woman I know and love as Auntie. My kids have never known her as anything else. Then there’s the black man who pastors in a neighboring county and coincidentally shares my last name. My husband affectionately refers to him as his brother, not just in Christ. All 3 of these, and many others not mentioned, call my in-laws Mama and Papa. And these are just the ones in America.

I also have black siblings in Ghana, West Africa. My father-in-law very recently had open heart surgery and my sister in Ghana has not failed to send me a daily message asking how her Papa is doing. Our pastor friend over there calls my mother-in-law Mama Linda and even named one of his daughters after her. Yes, her name is Mama Linda. This doesn’t even begin to include the many others who are white like me, or Mexican, Indian, Native American, etc. that make up my family. I could never mention them all by name.

Anyway, that is not the purpose of my post, just a real glimpse into the background of my heart.

The point is this- I am not in any way, shape, or form surprised by the current events and chaotic state of our nation. It didn’t surprise me this week, last month, or even last year. Why? Yes, there is the whole thing that according to the Bible certain things have to be played out, but that’s not even it. It’s because we are living in a Godless nation. I 100% believe the United States of America has turned her back on God.

What is God? 1 John 4:8 says that God is love. When there is a Godless nation, it becomes a loveless nation. A nation without God and His love can only be filled with evil and hate. It’s as simple as 2+2.

This is the reason why these sad and depressing current events don’t shock me at all. What more could we expect from a broken, ugly, cruel place that has denied the love of Jesus?

Black lives Matter. White lives matter. Police lives matter. Christian lives matter. All lives matter. It’s all overwhelmingly heartbreaking that it has come to this. Apparently if you support one you’re automatically against the other and it’s ridiculous. And as ridiculous as it all is, do you want to know who I am really grieving over? The Church.

Please don’t stand up and applaud yourselves if you feel you fit this category.

I am grieved in my spirit because I am beyond disappointed in The Church. I have prayed this past week and even had to rebuke my own thoughts. I do my best to stay out of the social media circus because all it does is harm instead of help. And you know what I’m seeing? I’m not seeing God’s people shine His light in the midst of all this chaos. I’m seeing what is supposed to be His Church tearing each other apart with their words and actions. I’m scratching my head trying to figure out what part of all this we think is going to lead us into heaven.

See, as I scroll through my news-feed and I find I can’t tell my churchgoing friends apart from my non-churchgoing friends, I am grieved and disgusted. I’m not saying you aren’t allowed to be upset or even mad, but I do know the Bible says in Ephesians 4:26 to be angry and sin not.

Now, I’m not talking about the “Christians” who are nothing more than modern day Pharisees, Sadducees, and Hypocrites. I expect that from them. I’m talking about us that call ourselves the True Church of the Most High God…you know- the one that is supposed to be washed in the blood of the Lamb. The one Peter wrote to in 1 Peter 4:8 that is supposed to have fervent love for each other cause it covers a multitude of sins. The one Jesus expected to keep the greatest two commandments in loving God with our all and loving our neighbor as ourselves.

Listen, we do not get to pick and choose our neighbors. How can we honestly say we love God when we’re picking which neighbors to stand up for instead of operating in the love of the Father? When the True Church begins to operate in the same hate as the world, we might as well forget about being there 10,000 years, bright shining as the sun. We won’t be going. And that is a shame.

I realize by the world’s standards the things we spew out of our mouths (which is essentially where we stand in our hearts—Luke 6:45) are justified, but we aren’t supposed to be living by the world’s standards. Remember? Or have our hearts lost focus?If anyone had the right to rant and rave about unjust persecution and the loss of innocent life it was Jesus. And if I remember correctly, His only social outburst during those current events was, “Father, forgive them.” (Luke 23:34)

Whether they are right or wrong, criminal or innocent, honest or crooked, black or white—God calls us to forgive. Will it be easy? No. But it would certainly go smoother if we fight this battle on our knees in prayer and not with our words and actions.

As I previously stated, I am truly disappointed in what is supposed to be The Church and ashamed to be included in what the world is seeing us represent right now. What I’m witnessing does not in any way reflect the God we’re said to be serving.

It’s time for REAL men and women of God to stand up and stand TOGETHER with all of our brothers and sisters in Christ, regardless of color, nationality, or background. It’s time we sincerely represent the God who is love and who has called us to serve Him and our neighbor. We must be careful in our claims as The Church. We must search ourselves. Wolves in sheep’s clothing will not be making the cut.

We are called to love in word, deed, actions, reactions, justice, injustice, and at all times. The world may be allowed to decide when love shuts off, but God’s people don’t have a choice- no matter the circumstance or situation. He calls for love and requires forgiveness.

Share this:

Bear one another’s burdens…

Put on the whole armor of God and join together in prayer!

Last year in March, my Mom (Janice) felt to organize a day of prayer. She created a Facebook event and we invited some ladies we knew to join us. The day went well and we all agreed that we should do it again.

March rolled around again, and my Mom said again that we needed another prayer day. When I went to create the Facebook event, I was surprised to find that we were almost exactly one year from when we had done the last one… So I kept the same date, thinking maybe we would have a yearly event.

The event grew fast with women coming together from all over the world, and we quickly decided to create a Facebook group. Given the word that was given to Emily the month before, I asked her if it would be okay to continue on with the same theme. On our first prayer day, we agreed that this should not be a yearly event, but once a month. God is definitely up to something here!

Back up to before we even reached the first day of prayer, we were hearing reports of prayer requests being answered! This had nothing to do with who organized it or who was praying… It was the number of ladies UNITED together and storming Heaven with prayers on each other’s behalf.

Since then, we have lost count with how many prayers have been answered in one way or another. Not every single request receives the miraculous outcome we hope for… but very many do! Homes restored, strongholds torn down, bodies healed, finances miraculously covered, favor where there was not much hope, and the list goes on and on…

We are praying daily… but we would love for more to join us that are willing to pray for a move of God. Women who are determined, women who are weak and need others to stand in the gap, women who love God and know that Jesus Christ is the same today, yesterday, and forever!

Think of it as a virtual 24 hour prayer room! No matter the day, the time, or the circumstance there is a place to find someone awake that is willing to kneel in prayer. No need is too great or small… it can even be unspoken! We will pray with you, for you, cry with you, rejoice with you… We are an army, we are sisters, and we don’t stop praying until there is an answer from God.

Is there any way to be certain that God is hearing your hearts cries? Any way to know for sure He is listening? The answer is yes! The Bible actually provides us with 4 simple steps to follow that will guarantee God’s ear. So you want to be heard? Here’s how:

Step 1: Be humble

humble- not proud, haughty, arrogant, or assertive; not thinking of yourself as better than others; reflecting, expressing, or offered in a spirit of deference or submission; not costly or luxurious

For a lesson in humility, look no further than Jesus. In the book of John, chapter 13, we find Jesus showing us the perfect example- the Son of God humbled himself to serve each of His disciples by washing their feet.

Step 2: Pray

pray- to make a request in a humble manner; to address God with adoration, confession, supplication, or thanksgiving

It’s important to have a prayer life. In Matthew 6:5-18, Jesus teaches us the to do’s and not to do’s of prayer and supplies us with a model prayer, telling us to pray in that manner.

Step 3: Be a seeker

seek- to search for or go in search of; to try to find; to try to discover; to try to acquire or gain; to ask for or request; to make an attempt

God longs for us to seek His face. Many times our prayer life consists of maybe 10% of thankfulness (if that), and 90% of asking. We rarely set aside time for seeking, although the Bible clearly tells us in numerous places that we are to seek!

Step 4: Turn away from wickedness

turn- to cause your body/a part of your body/something to face an opposite or different direction

wicked- morally bad; having or showing slightly bad thoughts in a way that is funny or not serious; very bad or unpleasant

Isaiah 55:7 encourages the wicked to forsake his way. God cannot hear us if we refuse to turn away from that which is wicked and not of or like God.

These 4 steps are so simple that if there is anything blocking us from heaven, it’s because we’re making it too hard. How do I know that these 4 steps will guarantee God’s ear?

“If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.”-2 Chronicles 7:14

2 Chronicles 7:14 tells us step by step what our part is and when we do our part, we find an amazing promise of results. Not only will God hear us, but He will also forgive and heal!

So you want to be heard? Yes. It’s really that simple.

*All definitions taken from the Merriam-Webster dictionary app.

Share this:

Not long ago, our part of the country was experiencing exceptional drought conditions, and it was like that for year after year. It was incredibly hot and dry. The leaves on the trees died (as did many of the trees), it was so hot that I could almost feel my skin burning anytime I was outside, and the ground was beyond parched. Any little bit of rain we would get was nothing compared to what we needed to get “caught up.” We went day after day, month after month, with no rain at all. Clouds would come in and tease us, then blow away without leaving enough behind to settle the dust. We were desperate for rain.

We prayed for rain like we would have prayed for food if we’d been starving. I told the girls that when it finally started raining we weren’t going to complain about the inconvenience or discomfort. We were going to thank God for every drop we got.

It finally started raining enough to slowly improve drought conditions. Last summer was unseasonably cool and wet, and that has continued through the fall and winter. We are starting our second week of having precipitation, so it’s cold and damp here, which is something we’re not used to. When I woke up this morning, I was so tempted to complain about how tired I am of rain. And then I remembered how thankful I should be. I remembered how terrible the absence of rain is, and I decided to be thankful instead that our area is getting the rain it needs to recover from the drought. It is getting the rain we need to have healthier crops and healthier trees and grasses. This is cause for rejoicing, not complaining!

I find myself doing the same thing in my role as wife and mother. How many times while I was growing up, and on into adulthood, did I pray for the man who would become my husband, did I ask God to give me children? Too many times to count. And I got what I prayed for—a man who loves me and loves the Lord, is faithful, works hard, and is a good father to our children. I got two beautiful daughters who have already made professions of faith, who work hard at their school work, who have gifts, talents, and abilities that will serve them well throughout their lives, and who are compassionate and kind. What more could a woman ask for, right?

All too often, I find myself complaining about my family too. If they don’t do something exactly like I would do it, or they do something that irritates or aggravates me, I find myself ready to grumble and complain instead of rejoicing and praising God for this beautiful, wonderful family He has blessed me with.

I think it’s the human condition. We are more likely to be negative than positive unless we set our minds to be intentional about gratitude and praising God for what He’s already given us.

Despite my circumstances being far from what I would like for them to be right now, I am incredibly blessed. It’s time I started acting like it.

How do you stay intentional about giving thanks for the blessings you have, even when you don’t feel particularly blessed?

Share this:

1. No rules-

This is your prayer journal. It can be however you want it to be. It can include whatever you want to include in it. It doesn’t necessarily have to be prayer requests or prayers at all times. It can be plain. It can be fancy. It doesn’t matter. All that matters is that it’s YOURS.

2. Write from the heart-

Keeping a prayer journal is simply a way of putting what’s in your heart on paper. Don’t try to use flowery words to make it sound dignified or professional. You’re not publishing a novel. You’re expressing your soul.

3. It’s not a diary-

A prayer journal isn’t about drama. It’s something between you and God and anyone else with whom you choose to share it. It isn’t a place for you to rant about this person or that person or this situation or that situation.If you do this, you’ll eventually get through that season or over that situation, and when you look back on the drama instead of the prayer….you’ll cringe. By all means, write your heart and how you feel. However, you don’t want your words to be demeaning. Even if no else ever sees them besides you and God. Trust me.

4. Don’t stress-

If you haven’t written anything in a month, don’t worry about it. It’s not about daily writing or even weekly writing. I started mine in a regular single subject notebook over a year ago and I’ve only used half of the notebook. You write in it whenever you feel led to write in it. If this is only once every 6 months, good for you! As I said earlier, there are no rules.

I started my journal about a year and a half ago and I truly enjoy it. Like I said, my journal is technically a single subject notebook, not the top of the line deluxe edition journal. I only write in it when I feel the desire to…I don’t force it. Some pages have doodles. Some doodles are random, some actually pertain to whatever I’ve written about. Some entries are songs God recently gave me that I want to write down so I don’t forget. Some entries are about a word someone gave me from the Lord. Some are me baring my soul about certain feelings, situations, circumstances. Some are lists of people I need to pray for. Some are thoughts or God drops that I eventually end up sharing with you all on our blog. I even wrote about my #oneverse and #onescripture for 2014 in my prayer journal. At the end of 2013, I wrote a page of memories, good and bad, happy and sad. Some pages are nothing but Bible scriptures that I need to indulge in at the moment. Some pages have quotes that encourage me or challenge me.

Writing helps you remember.

Writing helps me to remember. I love going back and reading old entries. I can remember the hardships that God brought me through. I can remember the blessings He showered upon me. I can see answered prayers. I can see worship. I can see growth. It’s not for everyone but it’s something I relish. And I hope one day at the end of my journey to pass my prayer journal on to my children and grandchildren.

Do you have a prayer journal? Share your thoughts with us!

Share this:

These are tough times. My family is struggling, and almost every other family I know is struggling too, in one way or another. I’ve been praying and asking God for relief, for breakthrough, for help, for rescue – and not just for my family, but for all of us.

The good news is that prayer and focus on God are drawing me closer to Him and are showing me more about who He is, which reminds me what He is capable of. When I can remember that God is bigger than any situation or circumstance we find ourselves in, I am filled with peace. And peace is a great thing to have when you’re waiting to see God work in the situations that concern you!

Two keys to effectively waiting are:

Pray. Until recently, although I felt called to pray (and I did!), I wasn’t as focused and dedicated as I should have been. I’ve been reading a book about being a prayer warrior that has helped me to understand the importance of prayer and how critical it is to be fervent and faithful. When we all pray together, the impact on the spiritual roots of our problems is even more powerful!

Praise. Instead of worrying and fretting about what our families need, we need to spend our time praising God for who He is, what He’s done in our lives, and what He’s going to do. We need to play music that lifts God’s name and our spirits. When my home is filled with praise music, I find myself worrying less and trusting God more. I am filled with hope and faith, which are what God wants me to have instead of fear and anxiety. (It doesn’t mean I’m not concerned, but it means I’m resting and trusting in Him.)

I don’t have all the answers. My family has been waiting for answers to some of our prayers for a long time. What I do know is that prayer and praise change things! Even if my situation doesn’t change, my heart changes, and sometimes that’s the bigger answer to the prayer I didn’t pray.